The Rainforest

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The Rainforest
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• Tropical rainforests are found between the
  Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

The Climate near the equator is constantly hot
and wet year round
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Layers of the rainforest

• Emergent- The top layer of the rainforest. Trees
  are about 200 feet tall. Lots of sunlight
• Canopy- Primary layer of rainforest. Many
  animals live here because there is an abundant
  amount of food.
• Understory- Little sunshine reaches the plants in
  this layer. Plants barely reach 12 feet tall.
  Lots of insects live here.
• Forest Floor- Hardly any sunlight and plant
  growth on this layer. Giant Anteaters live here.

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• The rainforest is made up of the most complex
  Ecosystem. Ecosystems are a community of plants
  and animals sharing an environment.

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Deforestation

• The loss of forests due to over cutting of trees

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• An area of a rainforest the size of a football
  field is being destroyed each passing second.

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Reasons for Deforestation

• Conversion of rainforest to agricultural land to
  feed the growing number of people.

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Reasons for Deforestation

• Commercial logging

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Reasons for Deforestation

• Development of cash crops and cattle ranches

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Reasons for deforestation

• People dont realize that the soil is so poor
  that it does not support agriculture for long.
  Thus people have to constantly keep moving their
  crops and clear more forest to produce food.

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• Consequences of Deforestation

Carbon Dioxide is released when forests are burnt
or rot. This causes the greenhouse effect.
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Consequences of Deforestation

• Removing trees causes a drier climate because the
  trees help circulate water.
• Soil erosion- The rainforest loses its protective
  cover of vegetation and causes it to lose more
  soil.
• Extinction of species

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Desertification

• The transformation of habitable land to desert,
  as by a change in climate or destructive land use

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Fun Facts about the Rainforest!

• 1 out of 4 ingredients in our medicine is from
  rainforest plants.
• More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is
  produced in the Amazon Rainforest.
• The Amazon Rainforest is the largest in the
  world.
• More then half the worlds species live in the
  rainforest.